The Other Half
by misshallieB
Summary: Ella Mansfield is about to start her new life at Hogwarts school. Although she has trouble controlling her powers, she learns to make new friends ands memories as she is thrown into the adventures waiting for her. This is Ella. This is the girl who lives the other half of Harry' Potter's story.
1. Chapter 1: The Mansfields

Warm light filtered through the leaves as a young girl peered up at the sky, her caramel curls splayed out beneath her head. She had been lying in the grass for an hour, trying to ignore the discomfort of the sweaty clothes clinging to her body. The summer had been nothing but extreme heat and today was no exception as the dry patch at the back of her throat reminded her. But, even if she was drowning in her own sweat, it was better than being back inside with her family. Her fingers twirled in the air slowly as she hovered some leaves above her head and weaved them in outlines of animals.

"Ella!" The grass hissed a little as her body shifted. Ella did not want to go back into the house and ignored the calling, hoping the backyard would swallow her whole as she continued to play with the leaves.

The voice called her name again and she heard a door slide open knowing someone was coming to get her since she was stubbornly refusing to answer. A boy with copper hair rounded around the tree and stared down at her with a small frown on his lightly freckled face.

"Ella, come on back. Dinner is about to start and grandma and grandpa are asking about you." His grey eyes clouded with concern. "It'll be okay."

A small sigh left her lips as she sat up, resting her arms on her knees as she peered up at him, the leaves she had played with floating down to the ground. "It's not going to be okay. Unlike you, my magic keeps messing up. At this rate both grandma and grandpa will have their full minds wiped away completely."

He shrugged. "At least you can use your magic since you haven't started school yet," he said.

"This isn't funny, Ulrich!" Her voice rose a little. "Dad is going to punish me again if I can't stop!" Ulrich held his hand out to his sister and she hesitantly took it, letting him help her up. Her fingers ran through her hair nervously. "I don't want to cause another incident.." Her father, a muggle, had decided in recent years that he didn't like lying to Ella's muggle grandparents about how he married a witch. The children couldn't help that they were born with magical abilities, but he still seemed to hate those sides of them.

They headed back to the house together and Ulrich closed the door behind them when they stepped back in. "Don't think about it," he suggested. "Just try to enjoy being with family. Or at least appreciate that Sebastian is here and we haven't seen our brother since Easter."

Even with the scent of roast hanging in the air, Ella wasn't hungry enough to sit at the dining table for fear of ruining the meal. She could hear the voices of her grandparents coming from the dining room and took a few deep breaths before she followed Ulrich to their seats.

At the head of the table Ella spotted her father whose jaw was set and his dark eyes narrowing at Ella's older brother who was talking happily. "Last week we caught a criminal who was notorious for attempting kidnaps. It was exhausting because we had to stake out his place after we received a report from one of the neighbors."

Both her grandparents sat together and looked impressed with their eldest grandson. Her father hated how Sebastian worked for the magical law enforcement and could pretend so easily that he worked for the muggle police department. But, what could he do? He didn't want Ella's grandparents to know anything about the wizarding world. Sebastian didn't ever let that stop him from talking about the work he loved.

"I didn't see anything like that in the papers," her grandfather had replied as he grabbed for a roll. "What was his name?"

"Cole Xana. He's now in custody, so you might see it later this week."

A woman with brown hair tied back strolled into the room with a two year old boy on her hip and a bowl of mixed veggies in her other hand like a waitress. After setting the boy in a chair between Ella and Ulrich, she set the veggies down and took her place next to their father. "That was the last thing I had for everybody! Dig in!"

The Mansfields all began to pass the food dishes around, taking helpings when the plates reached their hands. Ella's grandmother was the first to compliment the woman who had prepared the meal. "Lynn, this food is wonderful."

"Yeah, mum," Sebastian said around a mouthful of food. "The mashed potatoes have gotten creamier since I left."

Lynn smiled. "I'm glad you're all enjoying it. It wouldn't taste nearly as good if my dear mother-in-law hadn't given me that recipe book," she nodded her head towards Ella's grandma. "Ella, would you mix Danny's food for him?" She nodded to the toddler besides Ella.

"So, we've heard about Sebastian's work and Ulrich going to school but we haven't heard anything from Miss Ella," Her grandfather grinned at her. "We almost thought you had disappeared on us didn't know if you were coming back."

Embarrassment glowed in her stomach. She didn't mean to ignore her grandparents when they arrived and hoped they hadn't felt that way. Throwing her father a nervous glance, Ella replied, "I just got lost day dreaming in the yard. What would you like to hear about?"

"Ulrich's told us about his school experience," her grandmother said after swallowing a bite of roast. "Tell us how school is going for you."

Mixing the food for her baby brother to focus, Ella said hesitantly, "I.. well I am switching schools and joining Ulrich come September. So I'm excited after hearing about all of the friends he's made and it sounds like the classes are wonderful." A small smile spread across her face. She was going to join Ulrich at Hogwarts in a little over a month. The date couldn't arrive any sooner.

"School, is wonderful," Ulrich chirped, his grey eyes lighting up. "All of my professors are excellent."

"What's your favorite class?" Their grandfather asked.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her father's knuckles turn white as it gripped a fork. His jaw set again and he had stopped eating. The sight made Ella feel nervous.

"I'd have to say.. Chemistry," her brother decided. "We make different potions- well experiments. Our professor likes calling our experiments 'potions' for fun. I think I've got a natural knack for it."

"I loved gym," Sebastian said. "When I went to their school I was best at learning.. _defense_." Ella knew he was talking about Defense Against the Dark Arts which was nothing at all like a muggle athletics class.

Their grandfather smiled. "You must take after me. I was always a top performer. Did you ever join a sports team, Sebastian? Or you, Ulrich? I'd love photos of them in their uniforms if you have any Stefan," he addressed the frozen statue that was Ella's father.

His face had finally moved. He glared at his wife across the table before saying, "No photos. Lynn and I.. keep forgetting to purchase any photos for our children."

Everyone looked uncomfortable as husband and wife seemed to stare each other down. Lynn's eyes never faltered and she seemed to be communicating silently to him.. Ella's plate rattled a little, causing her to flinch and hold it in place. _Don't lose control, don't lose control, don't lose control._ She chanted in her head, as she took deep breaths. _Dad can't punish me if grandpa asks questions we can't fully answer._

Someone cleared their throat, breaking Ella's thoughts and she returned her attention to her family. Her grandfather furrowed his brow at his son before turning back to his grandchildren and asked, "Ella, will you be in sports, too? What class will be your favorite?"

The plate stopped moving in her hands and she wiped her palms clean before helping her baby brother eat again. "I'm not sure which class will be my favorite but I'm not planning to join the Quidditch team-"

"Quid ditch?" Her grandmother asked, brow furrowing. "What in heavens is that?"

She bit her lip, realizing her mistake. She could feel her father's eyes fixed on her as if he could fix her slip up with his glare. "It's.. er.."

A fork clattered as her father freed his hand to pinch his nose. Her grandfather frowned and said, "Son, you feeling alright?"

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth.

"We could just tell them," a voice said quietly. Sebastian, Ulrich, and Ella turned their heads sharply to their mother. "They want to be a part of their lives," Lynn continued. "Maybe telling them would bridge that gap."

Their grandparents opened their mouths, faces clouded with confusion until a the firm _slam!_ of Stefan's hand crashed into the table causing the dishes to quiver and the children to flinch.. "Absolutely not!" He practically shouted. " _My_ parents don't need to know about any of their nonsense!"

"Dad!" Sebastian snapped. "Calm down!"

"What's he talking about?" Their grandmother asked. "What are you hiding? Is it something to do with the kids?" From beside Ella, Danny's plate began to hum.

"Nothing mother," Stefan huffed. "Nothing that you need to worry about."

"It's not fair to them or the children," Lynn started again but Stefan silenced her.

"It's not fair to me that all of my children are bewitched!" He spat back.

Ulrich was covering his ears as their parents began to shout at the table. Their grandparents were yelling, too, trying to stop the argument. Sebastian took out his wand out from his trousers when their father grabbed his knife.

Ella's chest tightened and she felt like she was being absorbed into the noise of fighting and now Danny's crying. She hugged herself and shut her eyes tight, but felt her sanity slipping and before she knew it all of the dishes began to hover off of the table. They shouting died down immediately as everyone stared, the table beginning to rise with the dishes.

After what was happening registered, he father started screaming at her to stop, but all Ella could hear was her ragged breathing and the thoughts she was desperately trying to cling to of not losing control. She felt someone shake her and heard the dishes clatter together and forced her eyes open to watch the dishes whirling in the air as if a twister had entered the room.

Ulrich was shaking her shoulders, begging for her to calm down, but she felt too stunned. The dishes whirled faster causing the door to fling against the walls and the table was suddenly swerving through the air, making a beeline for Danny.

"IMMOBULUS!" Lynn cried at the same time as Sebastian, both of their wands drawn. Immediately the dishes and tables came to a halt, hovering in the air. Lynn took in a deep breath and let her wand cut through the air, allowing the dishes and table to come back to the ground.

Her father's harsh voice finally got through to her as he said, "Ella, what is wrong with you?"

Tears stung at the corners of her eyes as she peered at her father who looked like he would like to send her to the farthest corner of the earth. "I.. Dad, I didn't mean-"

"You _never_ mean it. But that doesn't stop you from causing accidents now does it?" He spat.

"Stefan!" Lynn cried, her mouth gaping open. "How dare you say that to her!"

"Wh-what just happened?" They looked at Ella's grandparents who were backed against the wall, faces pale. "Why was everything flying?"

Lynn sighed and glared at her husband. "I'll wipe their memories and clean this up."

"Just like last time," Stefan muttered furiously and left the room in a hurry to get away from them.

Ella had started crying silently, looking away from her grandparents. Someone grabbed her hand gently and lead her away from the dining room. She heard Sebastian say, "Stand still, grandma. This will only take a sec."

Ulrich had Danny on his hip and pulled Ella up to his room. They didn't say a word to each other and climbed into bed together, Ella holding Danny and Ulrich running her back. The shock of the incident left her feeling numb and her older brother soothingly rubbed her back, not pressing her to come back to herself.

Eventually they heard their other saying goodbye outside of the windows and muffled voices calling back cheerily. It was clear that their grandparents' memories had been erased of the entire incident and they were leaving without the kids saying goodbye. But even though they left, Ella and Ulrich remained in his room, laying Danny between them on the bed until he fell asleep. It wasn't long before screaming resumed from downstairs and they could hear the distrusted voices of their parents going at each other.

"I'm sorry for what happened," she whispered to Ulrich, her voice shaking a little. "I don't know why this happens and I wish I was different."

Ulrich tried to smile reassuringly at his sister. "No one got hurt. And you know this wouldn't have happened if Dad didn't hate that we're wizards. He treats us all badly."

"But mum had to clean up my mess and then grandma and grandpa were exposed to magic."

"Ella," he said quietly. "It's going to be okay. We're going to be at Hogwarts soon, and you can do all of the magic you want there."

"Will they let someone like me in? Someone who can't manage their magic?"

She felt his hand squeeze her arm comfortingly. "Of course they will. They'd be crazy to pass up on allowing a bright witch like you learn at school. Just think about being at Hogwarts."

Once again they stopped speaking, their parents still screaming at each other. Lately the arguments had increased and it wasn't hard for any of them to fall asleep. Ulrich began to lightly snore and Ella drowned out her parents' voices as she concentrated on Hogwarts. The place that would soon be her new home. The place where she could start fresh. As her eyes dropped Ella decided to let her worries go for the night, the last thought she had were of leaving this house and escaping to a new home where she could be herself.


	2. Chapter 2: A New Chapter

The room was full of purple smoke. Ella started coughing, but not nearly as hard as Mr. Ollivander was. This was the twelfth wand that he had given her to try. He cleared the air with a wave of his own wand. A sigh escaped from Ella as she handed back the one she was holding.

"Does it normally take this long to pick a wand out?" She asked him before he disappeared to get more boxes.

His voice called from behind a few rows of shelves. "Sometimes, but that happens with certain witches and wizards." He returned with five more boxes. "Your dear mother took a while to finally find hers. Went through 20 of them if I remember correctly. But she finally managed to match to a maple wood with dragon heartstring at the core." Ella's mother and Ulrich both had left to get other school supplies. It was probably for the best seeing as Ella probably wouldn't find a suitable wand for her anytime soon. Ella was slightly getting anxious at the amount she was going through and her fingers began playing with her caramel hair.

A bell rang signaling someone else was entering the shop. Out of the corner of her eye, Ella saw two figures approach the desk carefully. One was a rather pretty girl of Asian descent and the other had an unusual, asymmetrical pixie cut. Both girls had black hair and seemed to be familiar with one another. Mr. Ollivander smiled. "Welcome ladies. I am Mr. Ollivander."

"I'm Cho Chang," The asian girl smiled.

"I'm Nellie McNabb," announced the other.

Mr. Ollivander nodded. "Alright, well let me go back and bring out some more wands for you two. Miss Mansfield, you can keep trying out the ones on the counter."

Ella looked at the stack in front of her and opened the top one. The reddish brown wood was cold in her fingers. She gave a wave and saw that nothing happened. She looked at her wand curiously before realizing that her wand actually did perform something- it caused a rather rotten smell to appear. Both of the girls at the other end of the counter made faces and covered their noses.

"Not that one," Nellie laughed. "Wow... that's awful."

"Agreed." Ella covered her own nose and placed the wand back into the box. `

"Oh my!" Mr. Ollivander was striding back with more wands, his nose crinkled. "That's rather foul.. Not that one Miss Mansfield." He waved his wand again and the scent vanished. "Why don't you try the third box? That one might be suited for you my dear. I have a good feeling." He set a couple of boxes in front of Nellie and Cho.

Cho looked over at Ella and gave her an encouraging smile. "You can't get much worse than that last wand. You'll find the right one." Cho had picked out one that was dark stained and gave it a wave. A few flyers on the window peeled off the glass and began to soar around the room.

Ella frowned a little. Her magic seemed to be less impressive and was only capable of minor disasters. She went back to opening the box that Mr. Ollivander had suggested. Nellie had looked through a few of the boxes. Not liking what she saw, she came over to Ella's pile and roved over her options. Mr. Ollivander didn't seem to mind this and let the three girls experiment. Waving her rather swishy wand, Ella grinned as she saw red and violet sparks shoot from the tip of her wand.

Nellie was grasping onto a lighter colored one with swirled ridges on the handle. Once she saw the sparks from Ella's wand, she waved hers and produced orange and teal streaks right away. Mr. Ollivander beamed at them. "Well there we have it. Those are both good wands." He examined Ella's first. "Yew wood, very interesting… Yew wood with a unicorn hair for the core. 11 ¾ in length. This is an interesting wand Miss Mansfield. I will be most interested to see where you find yourself in the future. I think your powers are triggered more by your emotions than the average witch. But, that's not a bad thing at all. This wand will definitely be useful to you as you start the next chapter of your life. If you want to have mastery in magic, you will definitely need to learn how to manage and use your feelings in relation to your wand. Yes indeed.." He handed her back the wand. Ella's cheeks blushed a little at the mention of her emotional use of magic. He didn't seem to notice and turned to examine Nellie's wand. "I think this wand has a natural calling to you. Poplar, with a dragon heartstring core. 13 inches long. This wand will suit you well Miss McNabb. You must have a surprisingly stern personality and clear morals to possess this wand." He handed it back to her. A crash signaled that Cho had waved a new wand that was not a good fit. "Oh dear.. Let me get you more to try out." He headed to the back again, leaving the three girls.

Nellie smirked. "Well, that wasn't too difficult. Your wand seems pretty unique." She added as she looked at Ella.

"I can't believe you got a wand right away. I had to go through over ten wands!" Ella exclaimed.

Cho groaned and looked at the few wands she had tried. "Sounds like I could be here for a while." She set down the current wand in her hand and opened a new box. "What's your name by the way?"

"I'm Ella."

"Oh that's a pretty name!"

"Thank you. Are you both looking forward to school?" Ella asked.

"Yeah, I've been waiting for so long now," Cho said. "I have an older cousin who is a fifth year. She's talked up Hogwarts so much that I could hardly stand it. But now it's my turn! It'll be nice to meet new friends."

Ella turned to Nellie. "How about you?"

"I didn't know I was a witch until I got my owl," Nellie twirled her new wand between her fingers. "Definitely a shock, but ever since my parents said I could go, I've been looking forward to school more and more. I've never been this happy to go to school before. And while my parents are muggles, they're rather happy for me." She smirked again.

"Oh, I haven't met a muggleborn before. I'm halfblood." Ella said. "Actually, I haven't really met too many other witches or wizards my age." She admitted. "It's nice to talk with you both."

Nellie laughed. "It is! I only have met Cho. And we met a couple of weeks ago when my mum brought me to Diagon Alley for the first time. She's told me all about the houses. It's nice to know more about Hogwarts before I get there."

There was a tap on the window and Ella turned to see her mother waving at her.

"That's my mum. I guess I better go. It was nice meeting you two though! I hope you find a wand soon, Cho!" Ella had fished for some coins and placed them on the counter. As she left, Cho called after her. "Nice meeting you, too!"

"Alright Ulrich, I think you grew a couple of inches this summer. You will need some new robes when we go to the shop." Lynn looked down at the parchment with Ella and Ulrich at her sides. Their mother had already bought Ella the school books and a new set of quills. She was excited to have a new wand that made her feel more confident in her abilities. However, she was a little unnerved as she thought about how Mr. Ollivander mentioned her strange way of using magic emotionally. It wasn't surprising to her to hear him discuss the importance of managing her emotions. Ella knew she would have to do her best at school to master her magic.

They continued down the street together. Ulrich was talking about buying a pet. His gray eyes lit up and he became more animated as he tried to persuade their mother. "Mum, wouldn't it be great to have an owl so we can write back and forth?" Ulrich puckered his lower lip at her.

Ella laughed at his attempts, ruffling his copper tone hair. "You're going to talk our ears off until she gives in aren't you?"

Ulrich pushed her hand away. "Oh come on, an owl would be so great! Don't you want a pet?"

Ella shook her head, "While I would love that, I don't know if I would have time for one."

Her hazel gaze shifted to their mum who was smirking. Lynn was scribbling a few notes on her parchment before addressing Ulrich. "Love, if you want to write to us they do have an owlery at school. You know what your father said. No pets until your third year." She guided them towards the robe shop. Ulrich gave an over dramatic sigh and ran ahead to get the door for Lynn and Ella.

"Sebastian had a toad his first year!" Ulrich tried once more, but this time their mother gave him a stern look.

"Nope. Times change. And you and Ella will get a pet soon, I promise. Okay?" Ulrich nodded and said no more as he followed the ladies into the shop. The three of them started sifting through the robes. Ulrich found a few and went to try them on. Their mum found a seat and picked up a stray copy of _The Daily Prophet_ to read. As Ulrich came back out to show their mother the robe lengths, Ella started gathering a few robes that looked to be her size. She headed towards a changing room when she heard the shop owner's voice screech out "Excuse me! Stop running this-" The rest of the sentence got lost as a body slammed into Ella's.

"OW!" Ella hit the floor hard. She was stuck under a taller, gangly person. She looked up to see a redheaded boy who was shaking his head.

"Ow.. Oh sorry!" The boy blinked at her in surprise. He hurriedly stood up, smiling sheepishly while offering his hand to her. Ella huffed slightly and let him help her stand, her caramel waves were frizzed from the encounter. The boy glanced down at the robes she was carrying. "Shopping for Hogwarts?"

She couldn't help but grin a little. "Yes. It feels like I've been waiting ages for school to start. It's my first year," she added.

"I definitely get the anxiousness of waiting. Everyone feels like that." His gaze swiftly looked her over. "You're a bit tiny for a first year," He teased. "Do you have a name, or should I call you Short-stack?"

She stuck her tongue out at his comment but responded anyway."My name is Ella Mansfield. Short and fully capable to handle myself."

The boy laughed. "Nice name. Well, nicer than 'Shorty.' And you have lot's of snark for a pipsqueak." Ella enjoyed his happy-go-lucky banter. He opened his mouth, looking like he was about to say more when he heard the door to the shop open. The boy gasped and whispered to Ella hurriedly, "You never saw me, okay? It was nice meeting you! See you later!" He winked at her before running towards the back entrance.

Ella stood there stunned catching the last glimpse of ginger hair leave through the back door. After a moment or so, she finally turned towards where her family was. She took a step only to be crashed into by a dense body. "Really?!" Her robes were scattered on the floor again and she looked up to see a sneer of a large boy with sallow skin.

"Watch where you're going! Or maybe you can't help that you're unaware of anything outside of a 10 inch radius." The deepness of his voice sounded almost forced like he was trying to sound older than he was. He crossed his meaty arms. " Have you seen a red haired boy pass through here?"

"No. Just a large, rude donkey." Ella snapped at him. She was once again scraping robes off of the floor. With a glance, she noticed his jeans and saw they were torn at the midcalf. There were red marks where his skin showed. Standing back up, Ella realized she only came up to his shoulders in height.

The boy's sneer changed to a scowl as he shoved passed her. "You should watch yourself. Making snide comments at someone more powerful than you is never a smart move. You're lucky I have better things to do right now rather than teach you manners."

"Yes, I'm counting my blessings," She muttered. She glared at his back as he made his way to the end of the robe shop. It seems that it doesn't matter if she was with her family or not: drama follows her wherever she goes.

The trio finally finished robe shopping and found Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. As their mother ordered for them, Ella retold her story of the boys at the robe shop.

"I wondered what happened to you. I think I heard you run into the first boy." Lynn said. She handed her money to the salesman and gave Ella and Ulrich their ice cream. The three of them exited the parlour. Ella had caramel and fudge ice cream. She shifted her bag of items so she could eat her snack.

Ulrich looked thoughtful for a moment as he started on his ice cream. "The second boy sounds a lot like Theo Reid. He's going to be a third year at school," he said.

Ella crinkled her nose at the thought of running into the mean boy again. "What house is he in?"

"Ravenclaw. He's a smart guy with a mean streak." Ulrich responded. "I've seen him around a lot. He's a thug. I'm surprised you stood up to him." He smiled before eating more of his treat. Internally, Ella was cringing. The idea of already making yourself known to a bully like Theo did not excite her whether she's brave enough to keep standing up to him or not. But hopefully the brute would forget about the whole thing by the time September 1st came round.

"The redhead boy was probably one of the Weasley twins." Ulrich interrupted Ella's thoughts.

"Weasley twins?"

Ulrich nodded. "Yeah, Fred and George Weasley. Those two know how to pull _brilliant_ pranks. They absolutely love a chance to play a joke. It had to be one of them you ran into."

Lynn smiled. "I know that name. I went to school with an Arthur Weasley. Are those boys in Slytherin like you?"

"Nope, Fred and George are in Gryffindor. Suits them best since it always seem like the Gryffindors are having parties. The twins tend to be the loudest of the bunch. But I like them, they're funny." Ulrich finished his ice cream before continuing. "Ella, what house do you hope you get into?"

"I was in Ravenclaw," Their mother interjected before Ella could say anything.

Ella grinned at their mum. "Well I'm not sure. I could be like you, mum! I mean, Ravenclaw is the witty and creative house, right?" She looked at Lynn who nodded proudly. "Well I could definitely see myself in there." Ella and Lynn both finished their ice creams.

Ulrich snorted. "Yeah the haughty house full of snobs." That earned him a playful nudge from their mother, who was laughing.

"You're just saying that because you weren't witty enough to get in," Lynn said.

He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh right.. I'm plenty witty and creative. Slytherin is just better. I have no shame being in the ambitious house. I work hard, and I have good friends in Slytherin! Ella, you should join me, our house is full of talented people. Also, we don't have Theo Reid."

"You know, that would be a good fit for Ella in all honesty," Their mother added. "There are plenty of gifted witches from Slytherin. One of my good friends from Hogwarts was in Slytherin," Lynn noted.

"It's a difficult choice," Ella finally said. "Sebastian was in Gryffindor, you were in Ravenclaw, and Ulrich's a Slytherin. Maybe I could be in Hufflepuff so someone from our family can be in each house." She smirked. "I'm loyal enough."

"Loyal, but not boring," said Ulrich.

"Oh Hufflepuff isn't a house to mock," Their mother said. "In fact a lot of people there could be trusted probably more than anyone of the other houses."

They reached the gateway back to the Leaky Cauldron. Their mother took out their wand before tapping the bricks that triggered the opening. Lynn kissed her daughter's forehead before they walked through to the Leaky Cauldron. "Love, no matter which house you get into, we will all be happy for you. A Slytherin like Ulrich, or a 'boring' Hufflepuff, whichever. We will be proud of you. But, if you do get into Ravenclaw, you will be my favorite child," She teased.

The three laughed and Ella thought for a moment about how nice it was for them to be at ease like this, away from the tension of home. She couldn't remember the last time it had been this light and fun. It would be a dream if school was filled with the same kind of laughter and joy that they had been experiencing all day.

Weeks had passed since their visit to Diagon Alley. The lightheartedness from that day was forgotten as life at home became strained. Cruel remarks were often exchanged between Lynn and Stefan. Stefan had even made mean comments to her in front of their kids. It became difficult for Ella to ignore the disgust that seemed to radiate from her father. Neither she nor Ulrich seemed to be able to figure out how to make things better. It seemed that Ella grew more anxious the worse her parents behaved. These emotions somehow triggered her magic to move objects around the house. Her powers grew more ridiculous to the point where the furniture was almost thrown into the walls. Finally, Lynn decided she needed to place a charm over Ella's room. Anytime Ella felt anxiety, she could run to her room and know that the charm subdued her raw power. Her mother's charm had helped significantly and now Ella spent most of her time either in her room or outside. Unfortunately, Ella's powers had caused Stefan to grow more distant from the family. Lynn and Stefan eventually stopped arguing. But what replaced the shouting matches was drowning silence.

Both Ulrich and Ella ignored their parents' problems by occupying their time. Ella would bury her nose in her new books or question Ulrich about Hogwarts. The more he told her, the stronger her ache grew to leave. After much waiting and depressing days at home, she was able to cross off the final day before they would board the Hogwarts Express.

Ulrich sat on Ella's bed, looking through some of the letters he received from friends over the summer. On her lavender rug, Ella was thumbing through her copy of _Hogwart's, A History_. Their trunks were all packed and the two were doing their best to withstand the last 12 hours stuck at the house. Their little brother, Danny, was playing with one of his toy trucks by Ella.

"Sometimes it feels like we'll never get out of here." Ulrich sighed. He folded up the letter he was reading and turned on his side to face Ella. "I never thought mum and dad would get this bad."

She didn't look up from her book. But she couldn't seem to process the sentences anymore. Guilt was churning in her stomach. "Ulrich.. Do you think it's my fault that mum and dad are arguing so much?"

"What? Ella, of course not. Dad has been acting strange for a while. I mean when I got my owl, he didn't seem thrilled for me."

"But he seems to have gotten much worse since I've started using my magic. I mean I'm not going to beat myself up over his attitude, but I do feel a little bit like some of this might be my fault."

Ulrich sat up and gaped at his sister. "Ella, you can't be serious. Don't start looking down on yourself because dad is being rude. You're ten years old, he's an adult! If anything, he needs to get over something he can't change. Besides, mum and Sebastian are over the moon about you going to Hogwarts. I am as well."

She made a small smile. "Thanks Ulrich. I just want to please all of our family."

"Yeah, I understand that. But don't worry about dad. If he wants to be an old fart about this whole thing, then fine. You're going to make a good witch, Ella."

Danny was giggling and bumping his truck into Ella's book. She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Well, I'm really happy that we both are getting out of here tomorrow. Too bad Danny has to stay behind though."

"Yeah, but he'll have his day. Maybe dad will be different by then. Come on, let's get to bed. The faster we fall asleep, the faster this nightmare will end."

Platform 9 ¾ was bustling with families all saying goodbye. Both Ella and Ulrich had placed their luggage on the train and were with their mother one last time. Their father had failed to even get up to join them for breakfast, let alone see them off to school. Neither the kids or Lynn mentioned his absense, and the morning was too busy to place much thought on it otherwise.

The train blew its horn, signaling departure. Lynn quickly kissed Ella and Ulrich's foreheads. "Okay sweeties, write often! And tell me as soon as you get settled in what house you're into!" The two kissed their mother back and hopped on a platform as the train began to leave.

"Bye mum!" Ulrich called out. They waved to their mother until she disappeared. The journey to leave from home had just begun. Ulrich left Ella to go find his friends. Ella wandered around the compartments, wondering if she'd find Nellie or Cho. After a bit, she heard a male voice call to her from one of the compartments. "Hey there Short-stack!"

Ella peered in and saw two copies of the red headed boy she saw that day in the robe shop. "I'm seeing double trouble!" She teased.

The twin closest to the door groaned. "Like we haven't heard that one before." The twin by the window waved her in. "Join us!" Ella came and sat by a dark skinned boy and dark haired girl who were sitting across from the twins.

Ella crossed her arms and smirked. "So which one of you did I have the pleasure of being crashed into?" The one on the right by the window grinned mischievously.

"That would be me! I'm George. And this is my less handsome brother, Fred." Fred rolled his eyes and elbowed George. "You wish you were more good looking."

Ella turned to the boy next to her. "I'm Ella."

The girl on the other side of him leaned forward so she could see Ella. "I'm Alicia. Nice to meet you!"

The boy smiled and held out his hand. "Lee, Lee Jordan." She shook his hand.

"How come he gets a handshake?" Fred put on a fake pout.

"Probably because he has not crashed into me nor does he look like the person who did the crashing."

George smiled. "Oh come on now, it wasn't that bad."

"Well not for you, but I have a few bruises." Ella tucked her hair behind her ear and continued, "I also had a rather rude encounter with the boy who was after you."

George's grin widened and his eyes got a playful glint. "Oh, you mean Theo? Sorry about that, I didn't mean for you to cross paths with that brute." He and his brother exchanged knowing looks and Lee snickered from beside her.

She tilted her head. "What exactly did you do to him? I saw his pants were torn or ripped or something like that."

George leaned back with his hands resting behind his head as Fred chuckled and said, "Oh Theo was in need of an attitude adjustment. That git was trying to be rude to one of our friend's, Angelina."

"He told her that she shouldn't try so hard to look so ugly since she did a good job of naturally appearing hideous," added Lee. Fred's face darkened a little at the memory.

"Oh yes, Angelina was seething," Alicia said. "I had to hold her back to keep her from punching his face."

Ella looked shocked. "That's terrible."

"Yeah, we weren't too pleased with that either," said Fred. " George and I decided to follow him and wait for an opening to strike. We followed him to the pet shop and let loose some nasty little lizard creatures onto his legs. They've got a little bit of acidic bites that temporarily make your skin burn. Had him dancing and screeching for a bit as the little suckers ripped his pants." He smirked.

"Well I released the lizards," George piped in. "Fred distracted Theo so I could get him from behind. Fred ducked out quicker than I could. I had that idiot running after me until I lost him at the robe shop." George smiled at Ella again. "Thanks for distracting him while I got away."

Ella rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "First time is free, next time I'm charging."

George laughed. "Deal, Shorty."

The five of them had a great journey. Ella felt at ease and loved hearing about some of the pranks they had pulled on teachers and other students. Lee, Alicia, and the twins were in the same year as Ulrich and she found out that most of the Gryffindors didn't care for the Slytherins. Alicia had been the only one who knew Ulrich. Despite their distaste for her brother's house, Ella found herself happier with them than she had been at home for a long time. Hanging out with them also made her feel like she actually fit in and didn't need to feel anxious about proving herself to anyone. When it was time to get their robes on, Ella was almost sad to see that their time together was about to come to a halt. Alicia ad got onto the platform and left to find one of her friends. Fred helped Ella off of the train.

"I think you'd make a good addition to Gryffindor," He said to her. "Have you decided which house you want to be in?"

"I think I'd be happy in any of the houses to be honest."

George hopped onto the platform followed by Lee. "You know, Short-stack, I think Fred's right. You might like Gryffindor quite a bit." That playful glint was back in his eyes. "We can apprentice you in the ways of mischief."

"I'd rather not be tainted by your reputation. Having a good stand with the teachers before classes start would be nice." She smiled. She spotted Ulrich talking to his friends. He gave her a small wave. She waved back before hearing a loud booming voice call for first years.

Fred nudged her towards a rather large person was standing in a gaggle of small, round eyed students. "That's you. We'll see you at the feast!"

"And maybe at our table?" George smirked at her. She smiled and shrugged in response. The three boys left with the rest of the students, leaving her to start her journey.

Ella was excited as the first years and the giant man called Hagrid sailed across the lake in little boats. The black lake glittered with the reflection of the distant lanterns from the castle. Looking at Hogwarts from outside, Ella felt that there was an air of mystery along with wonder. The other students in her boat murmured throughout the whole trip. When they got to the shore, Ella found the girls from the wand shop, Nellie and Cho.

"Ella! It's nice to see you!" Cho and Nellie walked with her into the castle. "Did you have a nice ride on the train?"

Ella nodded. "Yeah, I found some second years to sit with."

Nellie chuckled. "Wow, making friends with older kids. You're so cool already." She smiled. "We had a compartment with a first year named Katie. Wish you could have joined us."

The first years all gathered at the top of the stairs where a teacher with a pointed face and emerald green robes stood. "First years, I am Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house. You will enter the great hall where the rest of staff and students will be waiting. You will stand by the tables where the professors are at and wait until I call your name for you to be sorted. There are four houses to be sorted into: Gryffindor- the house I lead- Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Once sorted, you will join your house by sitting at the designated table with the other students in that house. Here we go."

McGonagall led them through large doors that opened on their own. The first years walked behind her. Ella spotted her brother amongst students at the Slytherin house. He gave her a huge grin and waved. She passed by where the Weasley twins were sitting and they both winked at her. She rolled her eyes and smirked at them. The first year students finally stood by the tables up front of the great hall and waited as Professor McGonagall stood by a large, rugged looking hat and a stool. The hall was filled with silence as everyone waited. "Garrett Aldridge!" A blonde haired boy with long legs made his way to McGonagall. He sat on the stool and when the hat was placed on his head, the hat's ripped brim widened and Ella heard it belt, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

A chorus of cheers erupted from one of the tables. Garrett stood up and stumbled a little as he made his way to his new house. Meredith Ayers was called next and was placed in Slytherin. Hera Blake was sorted into Hufflepuff. Katie Bell was placed in Gryffindor. Cho Chang was called next and both Nellie and Ella quietly wished her luck. When the hat called, "RAVENCLAW!" Nellie and Ella clapped loudly along with the Ravenclaw table.

The list continued and soon Professor Mcgonagall reached the 'M's' on the list. "Ella Mansfield!" Ella took a deep breath and walked to the stool. Her cheeks burned a little as she realized how much attention was on her. The hat was placed over her head and she heard it whisper in her ear, "Some conflicting possibilities here.. Let's see, there's a willing heart, a strong desire to defend and protect, and a rather creative soul. Also a surprising amount of ambition. Your family members were difficult to place as well. Let's see, where oh where do I put you.." There was sweat forming on her face as she waited in anticipation. After what felt like hours, the hat finally roared, "RAVENCLAW!" Ella breathed a sigh of relief. She got up happily from the stool and practically raced to her table. Cho slid over to give Ella room and she hugged her tight.

"We're in Ravenclaw together! This is so great!" Cho told her. Ella smiled and they both turned back to watch Nellie get called to the stool.

"Perenelle McNabb!" McGonagall called.

Ella smirked. "Perenelle? Interesting. I kind of like it."

Cho gripped Ella's hand and they both squeezed. "Hopefully she's with us!" Cho whispered.

Nellie reached the stool and sat as McGonagall placed the hat on her head. The hat seemed to take a little longer to place her. Ella wondered if the hat was talking to her as well. Finally the hat opened its brim and called "GRYFFINDOR!" Ella felt Cho's hand weaken. Slowly, they both started clapping for their friend. Nellie gave them a big grin before joining the Gryffindor table.

"She looks ecstatic to be in Gryffindor. That's good!" Ella told Cho. Cho nodded and started to smile again.

"Yeah.. and even though we're in different houses, I suppose we will still see her."

Nellie found a space between another first year and Fred Weasley. She was facing Cho and Ella and the girls saw her mouth, "Sorry!" Both Ella and Cho smiled and gave her a thumbs up. George was beside Fred and he caught Ella's eye. He shook his head in mock disappointment. She simply stuck her tongue at him and turned back to watch the rest of the first years get sorted.

The feast ended a couple hours later. The food had been delicious and Ella had met quite a few Ravenclaws that would be in her classes. When it was time to leave, the prefects had lead the first year Ravenclaws to the common room where Ella was delighted to see relaxing shades of royal blues and hints of silver in the floor and furniture. The first year girls' dormitory resided on the lower west side of the room. When Ella and Cho entered, they saw that other first year girls were unpacking. She and Cho had met some of their fellow classmates: Marietta Edgecomb who had strawberry blonde hair, Gemma Louden who was a shorter girl with dark, frizzy hair, Chasity Thompson who had dark skin and a pretty smile, and Beatrice Whitaker, a scottish girl who had pin straight brown hair.

Cho and Ella found that there were two beds left that were next to each other and claimed them. The girls were all finishing unpacking and placing their clothes in the small wardrobes between their beds. All of the girls- except for Gemma who still seemed rather animated- had been too exhausted to talk much. At last each girl crawled beneath their midnight blue covers. Cho turned to face Ella and smiled softly. "Welcome to our new home Ella. Sleep well."

Ella's eyes were drooping, but she grinned sleepily all the same and replied, "Sweet dreams…

A/N: This will be updated lateer. There was a different version I had saved but couldn't find. Enjoy!


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